Dear Maxine
by extragalactic
Summary: She only wrote three words, three short and to the point words. And in her frantic movements, she realized that the quill had nearly gone through the parchment.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **So...I haven't been here in a while. I've actually tried Mibba for a bit, and that's where this fic was first posted. It's posted under the name madman with a box, but a friend convinced me to post it here. So that's why it's here.

**Disclaimer:**If you recognize it, I don't own it...if you don't it's mine.

* * *

_Dearest Maxine,_

_I know you probably don't want to hear from me after everything you've heard about me betraying James and Lily, and the whole killing Peter thing. I know that you probably won't even open the envelope that this letter arrived in; but on the off chance that you do, I just want you to know that it wasn't me. You know me better than to think I would betray my best friends, at least I would hope that you do. _

_It was Peter, it was all him. He betrayed James and Lily and then killed those muggles and himself to cover it up. I know how hard that is to believe; I never actually knew how stupid it sounded until I wrote it just now._

_I don't know how to convince you that I didn't do this. The only thing I can do is tell you, and plead to you to believe me. You've always been stubborn and strong willed in what you believe and, Maxine, I've always loved that about you, but now it seems that those traits of yours are going to work against me. I just hope that, deep down, you find it in you to believe me, and maybe even forgive me for leaving you._

_Believe me, Maxine; I thought about killing Peter, I even planned it out. But I would never, never put others in danger like that. I had no reason to, not when I knew that I would lose you if I did. And now, I have lost you, and it's killing me—first James and Lily, and now you. I'm sure Remus doesn't believe me, and I have to admit that if I were in his position, that I wouldn't either._

_Please, just let me know that you don't hate me, let me know that you believe me. That at least would make this all a little better. I just want to know that I'm not completely alone. Please, Maxine, can you do that for me, can you believe me? You don't have to write back, just allow me to write you. It will give me something to do, something to hope for. And you're more than enough to hope for._

_Always Yours,_

_Love_

_Sirius._

Maxine Gerard's hand shook as she read the letter through once more. Her lips moved with the words and as they silently slipped through her lips, her eyes quickly moved back and forth, as she scanned the page. Having read the letter through more than three times already, she knew its words by heart. Despite that fact, she couldn't tear her eyes from the thick, ruddy parchment.

Sirius had contacted her; how dare he? And so soon after Lily and James' funerals, she hadn't even had time to heal before he ripped her wounds open again. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, as she kept assuring herself that things would get better; they had too, there was no way they could get any worse.

Finally she let the letter fall to the floor as she frantically jumped off the love seat and began to search for her own piece of parchment and a quill. Opening drawers quickly, only to slam them in frustration, she muttered curses under her breath. At last, in the back of a desk drawer, her fingers brushed against the familiar roughness of parchment. She pulled it from the drawer, wrinkling in the process.

Smoothing it out in one quick motion she dipped the quill that was held in her still quivering hand in the black ink and in a nervous hand began to write. She only wrote three words, three short and to the point words. And in her frantic movements, she realized that the quill had nearly gone through the parchment.

She blew on the words to ensure that they wouldn't smudge before she folded the parchment and slipped it into and envelope. After addressing it, she tied it to her owl's leg and sent him off before she had the chance to change her mind.

She spent that night, tossing and turning, wondering if she had made the right decision.

* * *

"I got a letter from Sirius yesterday." Maxine spoke softly as she looked at her hands. Remus' head snapped up from his steaming cup of coffee, his hazel eyes were wide and his mouth slightly agape. It took a good long while before he spoke, and when he did, he said only one word.

"What?" His voice carried over the small café, and Maxine shifted in her seat as the few customers turned to look in their direction. "Sorry, " he apologized quietly. The small brunette in front of him sighed as the others in the café slowly returned to their meals.

"Way to call everyone's attention to us." She smiled wryly, and Remus gave her a look that told her that she should explain herself. Rolling her eyes, she continued, shrugging. "He wrote me."

"Well, what did he say?" The young man leaned across the table until his face was mere inches from hers. Maxine could smell the strong smell of coffee on his breath as he spoke.

"Not a lot." She started, fidgeting with her hands. "Just that he didn't do it, and he wanted me to know."

"And he didn't want me to?" Remus asked as he ran a hand through his sandy hair in a frustrated motion.

"I-I think he thought that you wouldn't believe him." She tried to explain as she rearranged the silverware around her plate.

"Damn right I wouldn't." She looked up at the man in front of her. His mouth was set in a thin line, and the muscles in his jaw twitched. His usually warm eyes were now stone cold and lifeless. "You don't believe him, do you?" It was then that Maxine found the small child at the next table highly interesting. And although she couldn't see him, she could feel Remus' gaze on her.

"Maxine?" He prodded, reaching across the table to touch her arm, "You don't believe him, do you?"

"I don't know," she finally answered, "I want to. You don't know how bad I want to. I've always believed anything that Sirius told me, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. I believed it because I believed in him, and even after all that's happened, I still find it hard _not _to believe him. Ma-maybe he's telling the truth." She was about to say more, when she saw Remus shake his head.

"He killed Lily, James, and Peter, Max. I don't know what possessed him to do all of those things, but there's no other explanation; it was him." A small whine from the woman in front of him made him pause. "I know." He nodded. "You don't know how long it took me to come to terms with it myself, he was my best friend after all, but, Max, _he did it._"

"He may have been your best friend, Remus, but he was my fiancé." She snapped before throwing enough money to pay for her food on the table and nearly sprinting out the door.

The cool November air engulfed Maxine as she jogged down the sidewalk of London's bustling streets. She was faintly aware of Remus' calls behind her, but she ignored them as she kept a steady pace. Block after block she ran; she ran until she couldn't run anymore, she ran until her legs and her lungs burned with every move she made.

Resting her hands on her knees, she bent over, trying to catch her breath. After a while, she stood erect, and feeling around in the pocket of her coat, she fingered the small diamond ring that she had hastily taken off only two weeks ago. She fought the urge to slip it back on her finger as she heard loud footfalls and labored breaths approach her.

"Maxine," Remus gasped, reaching out to gently wrap his fingers around her wrist.

"I'm so sorry, Remus." She closed her eyes, her hand still in her pocket, and tightly wrapped around the ring. "I don't know what came over me back there." Instantly, Remus' arms were securely around her.

"Don't be." He ran his fingers through her auburn hair comfortingly. "It's hard, I know. But, it'll get better, you'll see; it'll get easier." Pulling away from her, he took her face in both of his hands. "I promise you, you'll forget him, and you'll find someone better." He placed a kiss on her forehead before letting his hands fall from her face. "Let me walk you home?"

"Alright," she nodded, finally taking her hand out of her pocket and holding it out for him to take.

* * *

A disheveled Sirius Black sat on the small cot in his cell, resting his head on the stone wall behind him. He had been slipping in and out of bouts of sleep for days now. In places like Azkaban, there wasn't much else one could do except sleep and think, and lately, Sirius had been doing more thinking than he thought was healthy.

He had nearly driven himself crazy after he gave that letter to the mail carrier. Maybe he shouldn't have sent it; after all, she probably burnt it as soon as she saw his untidy scrawl on the front of the envelope. But who else did he have to write to? Remus? Defiantly not, Remus wasn't his friend anymore; Sirius wasn't naïve enough to believe that he was. If he were in Remus' shoes, he wouldn't be his friend anymore.

The sound of the mail carrier's loud grunts made Sirius jerk to attention, straining his neck in the process. Groaning, he rubbed his neck tenderly as he walked to the barred door of his cell. As he waited, he felt his heart begin to beat faster against his chest. He could hear it in his ears, and he swore the whole prison could hear it.

The large man stopped in front of his cell, and grinned a wide, toothless grin. Glancing at the number above the cell, he began to shuffle through the stack of thick envelopes. He went slowly, and Sirius knew it was to spite him. He had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something to him.

Finally, the mail carrier pushed an envelope through the bars and into Sirius' eager hands. She had written back! Fighting back a smile, he looked up at the man in front of him and gave a curt nod, wishing he would quickly make himself scarce. Impatiently he watched him limp away.

Almost greedily, Sirius ripped open the envelope, almost scared of what he would find inside. He had to stop to steady his breathing, preparing himself for the worst, and at the same time, hoping for the best. He almost decided not the unfold the letter, to put it back in the ripped envelope and cast it—cast her—out of his mind forever. But he knew that the curiosity of what she wrote would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Finally, he opened the letter, and it took a while to decipher what she had written, but when he did, he nearly wept. Sitting on the floor, he stared at the letter, not taking his eyes off of it. He couldn't believe it. She had only written three words, but at that moment those three words were everything. They were just three simple words, but they were the most important words that Sirius ever knew.

_I believe you._

She believed him, and for the moment that was all that mattered. He wasn't alone anymore; he had someone, someone who believed in him. And maybe someone who still loved him. Sirius slept better that night than he had in a long while.

* * *

**A/N:** So, I hope everyone likes it...Review if you feel the urge to.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Chapter two. Updates won't happen as quickly after this because of work and other such sucky things.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own the characters created by Ms. Rowling.

* * *

Maxine sat, curled up in the oversized arm chair, with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a rather thick book in the other. Her eyes were transfixed on the book, but in all honesty her thoughts were miles away. She was neither focused on the scalding hot mug that was burning her hand or the Russian novel; truth be told, her thoughts were wherever the mail owl was at this moment.

Daily routine told her not to expect the owls with her mail until half past eleven—a quick glance at the clock told her that it was merely a quarter after nine. Sighing in annoyance, she forced herself to focus on what was in front of her, and when she did, the burning sensation in her left hand came at full force.

"Blast!" She exclaimed, hastily putting the mug on the small end table, succeeding in sloshing some of the brown liquid over the rim. Groaning, she looked at her now bright red hand before rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, and rubbing her hand on her jeans before turning her attention back to her book.

It took her all of five minutes to slam the book shut in frustration. It was no use; concentration was currently her foe—and a persistent one at that. The fact was, it wasn't that she couldn't concentrate, it was the fact that she could only concentrate on one thing. That one thing was, in fact, a someone.

Before Sirius' letter had arrived a mere week ago, she had sworn him off; he was dead to her. But now, he was all that she ever thought of. She couldn't help but think about him. She was sure that he was miserable, falsely imprisoned in Azkaban, and she wanted nothing more than to help him. She missed his smile, his eyes, his laugh, but most of all she missed the way he was before—she missed the care free Sirius, the Sirius that could make her laugh.

Glancing out the window, she half expected to see him to sprinting up the walk with that lopsided grin that he wore so well. What she wouldn't do to see that smile again; what she wouldn't do just to see him again, whether he was smiling or not.

Unfolding herself from the chair, she slowly walked across the den to stand in front of the fireplace. The old scrapbook lay atop the mantle; a thin layer of dust lay like freshly fallen snow on its warm, rich leather binding. Maxine, taking a deep breath, blew the dust away with on sharp exhale before gathering it in her arms and returning to her seat.

The leather creaked slightly as she opened the album. Inside was displayed seven years of her life. From the moment she entered the large, welcoming doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to her last day on the school grounds. Smiling faintly, she ran her fingers over a photograph of two laughing girls, almost as if by touching the picture, she could revive the memory. The fact of the matter was she could never forget; because no one could forget their best friend, especially if their best friend were Lily Potter.

"I miss you, Lils, so much." She willed the twelve-year-old Lily in the picture to answer her, to tell her that she never left; but the girl just laughed.

She flipped through six more years before she stopped again. It wasn't the only picture she had of Sirius, but it was one of her favorites. She had always liked to see him in his quidditch uniform; she'd always liked to see him play. It was during sixth year, when they _finally_ began to date, that he insisted before every game that he should get at least one kiss for good luck.

She didn't know who had taken the picture—probably Lily. She couldn't help but smile as the memory of them together began to seep into her mind once again. It was as if she closed her eyes she could replay it over and over.

_It was a bright, cool fall day, and the grounds of Hogwarts buzzed with excitement of the first quidditch game of the year. Maxine walked beside Sirius, hand securely in his. He was dressed in his scarlet robes and his beater bat was thrown over his shoulder. He walked with a confident swagger; he carried himself like Gryffindor had already won. _

_Maxine, on the other hand, knew that they had a hard game ahead of them. She glanced to her left and saw Lucius Malfoy, dressed in green robes, securing his quidditch pads in place. A Slytherin-Gryffindor game wasn't the way she would have liked to start the season._

_"Ready to watch us win?" Sirius asked, nudging her lightly._

_"Don't count your chickens before they hatch." She warned him, "Slytherin was the best team last year. It's not going to be easy."_

_"Eh, nothing worthwhile ever is…you're a perfect example of that." The smirk on his face quickly diminished as Maxine's hand connected with his stomach, briefly knocking the breath out of him._

_"Sirius Black!"_

_"It was a compliment!" He defended, holding up his hands._

_"Sure it was…" she smiled, slipping her hand back in his as they continued their walk to the quidditch pitch. When they arrived, the pitch was already beginning to fill up with chattering students. Sirius turned to the brunette beside him as they neared the Gryffindor locker room._

_"Wish me luck." He told her, puckering up his lips, making Maxine laugh before she quickly kissed him. That was when the sound of a click made her pull back with a furrowed brow. _

_"Did you hear that?" She asked, but Sirius shook his head, looking confused. She could have sworn someone had taken a picture. Looking left and right, she suddenly spotted Lily, camera in hand. _

_"Lily Elizabeth Evans, I will kill you!" She screamed, darting after the red head, throwing a quick 'good luck Sirius' behind her._

Maxine was brought out of her thoughts by a light knock on the door. Jumping up at once she made her way to the door, hoping to see the mail owl. She was more than a little disappointed when she opened the front door to reveal Remus, a paper bag in his left hand, and two cups of steaming liquid in his right hand.

Her hopeful face fell at once as she let her hand fall from the door knob. Remus' brow furrowed in puzzlement, but the smile returned when she invited him in. Closing the door behind her, she turned to face him.

"I've brought breakfast." He smile widened, and she forced one of her own. "What's wrong, Max?" He asked.

"Nothing," she shrugged, "I'm just tired is all." Remus nodded, but looked as if he didn't believe a word she said, and she didn't see how he could have believed her. "I'll just take this to the kitchen." She reached for the paper bag with her left hand, but before she could grab it, his hand encircled her wrist as he looked at her left hand. Letting out a defeated sigh, he dropped her hand, turned to put the drinks on the coffee table before taking her hand again.

"I thought you took that off." He indicated the diamond engagement ring on her finger.

"I did." she told him as if it was no big deal, "But then I put it back on."

"Why, Max?" He asked.

"Because, Remus, as much as you don't want to believe it, I still love him; and I believe him. Nothing's going to change that."

"Maxine," he said, taking her face in his hands, "You have to move on. He's not coming back; he's where he belongs now."

"No!" She screeched, pushing him away, and he stood there, shocked. "He didn't do it Remus! He didn't." She shook her head as tears began to trail down her cheeks. "I don't know how I'm going to make it without him, Remus; I'm alone now."

"You have me, Max, you're not alone and you never will be." He told her as he rushed to her side. Folding her into his arms, his lips found hers in a hesitant kiss. She didn't push him away, she didn't reject him; instead, she kissed him back.


End file.
